big dry elm drop

[dadio]

Obviusoly the fell went well but have you ever tried using a bottle jack on back learners? They work well and are way better than using wedges, plus they are easier on the back.

 

What is even easier on the back is waving your hand and letting a machine do the pulling.. the wedges were just there for a little extra help. I originally used them because the tree sat back. I will normally just signal the operator to give a little more pull on the line if the tree sits back, but we didn't have good visuals, and I didn't want any miscommunication about the pull. So I dusted off the wedges. And once I'd gone to all that trouble, figured I might as well hit 'em a few times and see how much the tree moved. I have found the combination of wedges and a pull line to be quite effective, the few times I used them together, which has only been on backleaners..

 

I would think it quite a hassle to notch out a jack station, go to the truck and find the jack handle etc.. I can see using it on a big tree, where you need more power/lift than wedges provide, and can't set up a pull line.. That's west coast logging though.. Got any pics of your jacks????

[dadio]

Cutting the hinge is easily done like that with a larger saw.

 

Usually its when the felling cut is only between 1 + 1.5 x bar length. 2 x bar seem to be easier to avoid sticking the tip through when running around the back.

 

In this situation following the plunge, I would have probably brought the tip further towards the back of the felling cut before going around the back, hence then you can hold the saw further out when going around the back.

 

Sure no one needs to teach you how to suck eggs, but its a common and easy mistake usually due to impatience. Spending a little more time dressing the hinge and preparing the next stage of the back cut usually pays off.

 

Good eye and quite right...

 

I was quite surprised to see that 75% of the hinge had been accidentally cut through by the tip of that 3' bar, as I swung the body of the saw around when turning from the plunge to a forward cut.. The entire tension side of the hinge, except one little post, was GONE!!! And that big heavy tree had significant side lean.. It's amazing that the tree went to the lay!

 

As far as I can remember, that's the first time I've made a back cut like that, swinging the body of the saw around without leaving the cut.. If the hinge is longer than the bar, I usually plunge in from both sides and leave a backstrap... I was avoiding making a second plunge cut (with that big bar), and got quite careless in doing so.. It took just seconds to blow that hinge out..

 

Seems like it was a fairly easy mistake to make, and THANK GOD it was elm, or it would not have been free!!!! It was a valuable lesson.

[RobArb]

Why would you go back to the truck for "handles etc..."??? You wouldn't! You'd take them with you just as you would a felling bar or wedges if you needed those! That's just common sense...

 

Sent from Rob's GalaxySII